Printed memory (PM) labels and devices are manufactured in a variety of sizes, including twenty (20) bit, which has a symmetrical arrangement of electrical contacts or contact pads. An example of a 20-bit PM is depicted in FIG. 1. In some instances, the orientation of label or device 20 and thereby pads 22 relative to reader 24 may be upside down, either due to symmetry of the carrier body or for compatibility among multiple configurations (See, e.g., FIG. 3 versus FIG. 4). With the standard configuration of PM label 20, reader 24 can read and write an upside-down label, with the effect of reversing the order of the bits.
The present disclosure addresses a method for encoding and decoding N-bit data so that label to reader orientation does not alter the determined value of a printed memory label.